Lights, Camera, Action with New Wildwood Movie Theater

Hollywood came to Wildwood when B&B Theatres Wildwood 10 cinemas opened Oct. 1. 

 The 30,000 square-foot movie theater provides a star-like ambiance, beginning with the art deco external building design all the way in to the innovative marquee suites with plush, reclining leather seats.

Located in Wildwood’s Town Center, the theater was the first in the St. Louis area with all-digital projection, including all 10 auditoriums.  The location also was one of the first theaters in Missouri, and one of the first in the world, to be built without a projection booth.

It is B&B's second all-digital theater in Missouri.  The company has theaters in Kansas and Oklahoma, in addition to the Show Me state.

Paul Farnsworth, manager of the Wildwood location, said the theater was well received and business has been better than even anticipated in the first month.  He and his wife, Jillian, recently relocated to Wildwood from Neosho, MO.  He has several years of experience with B&B Theatres.

He said area movie-goers are intrigued by the massive "wall-to-wall" (56-feet wide screen) movie experience and 360-degree surround sound theaters.  This theater is the first in the St. Louis area to provide Dolby 7.1 Digital surround sound, delivered through ceiling-mounted speakers.

Six of the 10 theaters have 3-D capability, said Farnsworth.

The theater also features two marquee suites with a dedicated lounge and lobby for patrons 21 years old and older. A full bar and specialty menu items are available, which can be taken into the marquee suite when the movie starts. 

"We love this new theater, and it's so great to be able to ride our bikes to it," said Vickie Daniel, of Wildwood.

"We've been to shows more in one month since the Wildwood theater opened than we've probably been to movies in a whole, normal year," she said.

She and her husband, Chuck, said they have tried all three of the Wildwood 10 theater options at the site, and that "everything so far has been a pleasant experience."

Even the theater workers say they love working in the red-carpet environment.  "It's actually fun, everyone's friendly, and a huge perk is getting to see movies," said Kyle Scherwood, a Lafayette high school student and Wildwood resident.